1. Technical Field
The subject invention relates to trigger locks for firearms. More specifically, the subject invention relates to electronic locks preventing access to triggers of firearms.
2. Description Of Related Art
As the frequency of violent crimes occurring in residences increases, more and more civilians are purchasing handguns to defend their homes. This action, they feel, is the lesser of two evils wherein the second evil is the potential loss of life or maiming of a child. To eliminate the risk of loss of life, gun locks have been manufactured to prevent the unauthorized use of a firearm by a child.
The designs of the locking mechanisms incorporated within these gun locks are inadequate because they either require a key or enough light to view a combination or key pad lock. The disadvantage associated with the key lock is that in order for the lock to be an effective deterrent for children, the key must be stored in a remote location. Therefore, in the event an intruder is threatening bodily harm, the defender of the home must have access to two locations, i.e., where the gun is stored and where the key is stored. Likewise, in the event of an intruder threatening bodily harm at night, a combination lock is ineffective because the defender must turn on a light to see the combination lock which could destroy the defender's element of surprise.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,232, issued to Eppler on Nov. 5, 1991, discloses a safety device for firearms wherein an electronic lock is incorporated into the handle of the firearm and prevents the trigger from being pulled. To unlock the firearm, the operator of the firearm must be wearing a glove with a signal generator affixed to the palm of the glove. Although this assembly adequately eliminates the need for a light to unlock the safety device, the operator still needs access to the location where the glove is stored that location being different than the location of the gun to insure the safety of the members of the household. Further, the operator must successfully put the glove on the hand before the safety device will unlock the trigger. Additionally, a problem occurs when the operator of the gun is not the owner, yet authorized, but does not shoot the firearm with the same hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,175, issued to Oncke et al on Jun. 11, 1991, discloses a safety device for a firearm wherein a key pad is located at the base of the handle wherein the correct combination unlocks the trigger allowing an operator to use the firearm. The deficiencies associated with this safety lock include the requirement of a light to successfully enter the proper unlocking code and, as with the safety device discussed above, a special gun must be purchased because the lock is incorporated into the handle of the firearm. Two light emitting diodes (LED) are on the face of the keypad but merely indicate whether the gun is locked or 10 unlocked and do not illuminate the key pad sufficiently for the use thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. No. 4,959,981, issued to Davidson on Oct. 2, 1990, discloses a security lock for a vehicle including an illuminator. The illuminator extends along an elongated member which is hooked to the vehicle steering assembly. The illuminator is a beacon for would-be thieves and deters the thieves from initially entering the vehicle. More specifically, when a thief approaches the car, the illuminator can be seen which will deter the thief from performing an initial invasive act such as breaking a window or destroying the paint finish of a car trying to unlock the door lock. An illuminator such as this would not be proper when used with a firearm because the target of the firearm would know exactly where the operator of the firearm was located if the surrounding environment were dark.
Therefore, there remains a deficiency in the art of gun locks for a gun lock which can be stored and accessed from a single location and, at the same time, be used at night or in the dark.